Pete Styles – PGA Teaching Pro

If we've established how important keeping the eye position level is during the full swing, we've also understood why it's important because it keeps the action looking simple and it keeps the ball straight looking crisp. Well, there is nowhere more important for the simple crisp action to be evident that in the short game. So be it putting or chipping or playing bunker shots, we always want to see that crisp, simple looking action maintained in the short game and the eye position is a big fundamental part of that.

So as the eye is set up to the ball here in a nice addressed position, nicely back and through, I want to be getting a good solid contact on the ground every single time and my eye position is quite solid. If I start twisting my head in the backswing and then twisting my head in the downswing I'm going to get all sorts of inconsistencies in my action. Not just inconsistencies of strike, but inconsistencies of direction and distance; but the strike will probably be the biggest one.

Moving my head position one way or another is going to change my weight positioning and that’s quite a big factor in chipping. Yes, we want to be on the left side, but we wouldn’t want to lean too far left, and we definitely don’t want to lean too far right as we tilt our head the other way. The same thing in putting: keeping the eyes level and particularly well focused on the ball in putting is a massive fundamental of the game.

They’re back through rocking back, rocking through, not watching the putter head backwards and forwards, and particularly not looking up to see where the ball has gone too early. So eyes down and eyes leveled is a good fundamental technique in the full swing to keep it quiet and keep it simple. The same approach is massively important in the short game: eyes down, eyes level, keep the technique simple, improve your ball striking, and improve your golf skills.